No matter where your adventure takes you, most of what is truly meaningful is still to be found revolving around the mundane stuff you did before you embarked on your adventure. The stuff that’ll be still be going on long after you and I are both dead, long after our contribution to the world is forgotten.But often, one needs to have that big adventure before truly appreciating this. Going full circle. Exactly.
I like this idea because it means that today, things are as bad as it can get.
I’m already super-busy, super-stressed, super-anxious, super-self-critical and super-distracted. I’m pretty sure that finishing another project—just. one. more!—is not going to magically fulfill me. Somehow this lesson is easy to understand but hard to know… hard to integrate.
But “scale”? That’s something I really understand. I understand what happens with something that can scale, and something that cannot scale. So if humans—i.e., me—don’t scale, why do I keep trying to make me scale?
What factors contribute to the success of PK Move’s mission to make Parkour accessible to underserved communities and older adults?
PK Move founders Nancy Lorentz, Jean Lam, and Rosy Noguchi sit down to discuss everything PK Move; how they started, the challenges they face as a non-profit, and the unique relationship they have with their community. The team explains PK Move’s mission, the specific groups they serve, and the programs they run, including their PK Silver seniors program. They unpack the details of the recent study conducted on the PK Silver program before delving into the pop-up playground program, and their current goals and opportunities.
We wanted to go to them, people who had some barrier to getting to the gym. Sometimes it is financial. Sometimes it is being intimidated.
~ Nancy Lorentz (10:50)
PK Move’s founders discuss their nonprofit’s mission to bring Parkour to underserved populations, particularly seniors and communities with limited access to traditional fitness facilities. They detail the origins of PK Move, describing how personal experiences and a shared passion for Parkour led them to develop programs that focus on inclusivity, confidence-building, and strength development. A major part of their work includes the PK Silver program, designed for older adults, which offers step-by-step Parkour training tailored to the needs of participants with low fitness levels.
The conversation explores the challenges PK Move faces as a nonprofit, such as fundraising and obtaining grants. They explain how they forged partnerships with local governments and community organizations to provide free and low-cost classes. The team highlights the success of their recent study, which demonstrates the effectiveness of PK Silver in improving cardiovascular health and strength among participants aged 60 to 80. Additionally, they touch on their pop-up Parkour playground initiative, which brings portable Parkour equipment to community parks to encourage physical activity in children and families.
Takeaways
PK Move’s origin — The nonprofit was founded to bring the transformative benefits of Parkour to underserved communities.
PK Silver program — A structured Parkour program designed for older adults with low levels of physical activity.
Community partnerships — PK Move collaborates with city parks and recreation departments to offer outdoor and indoor classes.
Fundraising challenges — The organization relies heavily on grants, community donations, and volunteer support to sustain its programs.
Accessibility focus — Classes are held in public parks and community spaces, ensuring accessibility for participants who may feel intimidated by traditional gyms.
Pop-up playground — PK Move created a portable Parkour playground to engage children and families in physical activity in underserved areas.
Health benefits — A university-led study demonstrated improvements in cardiovascular health and strength among PK Silver participants.
Volunteers’ role — The majority of PK Move’s classes and programs are run by volunteers, including experienced Parkour coaches.
Future goals — PK Move aims to expand to more cities and conduct additional studies to solidify their evidence-based program.
Resources
PK Move official site — The nonprofit’s website with information on programs, events, and ways to donate or volunteer.
And what better use could you make of that time? A day that could be your last — you want to spend it in worry? In what other area could you make some progress while others might be sitting on the edges of their seat, passively awaiting some fate? Let the news come when it does. Be too busy working to care.
At the dawn of the internet, posting a commercial message was the indicator used by everyone to point and say, “that is spam.”
This was a huge mistake. Because it led to a deep rabbit-hole of requiring us to answer the question: Is this message commercial?
I think it’s commercial? …do you? Wait what is “commercial” is it any time we exchange any amount of value? That’d be two people talking! “Commercial” isn’t inherently bad… Ok, but we need to agree so we can make a decision! Is “we” a few of us in this space, or does the poster’s opinion matter? Does their “street credit” in the space affect how much we value their opinion? Maybe we can rate-limit how many border-line-commercial messages each person can… Oh, wait, I know! Let’s appoint someone to be the arbiter of this space and… deep. deep. rabbit. hole.
And we went to great length to try to place (move, cajoul, beg, etc) the commercial stuff into designated areas.
It’s not commercial that is the problem. SURPRISE is the problem. If something is unexpected, it better be perceived as desired. It’s not the content of the message (post, email, phone, whatever) that matters, it’s the recipient’s REACTION that matters.
That phone call at dinner from the caller ID you do not recognize—unexpected and undesired—spam!
The garage that fixed my car that later robo-calls me to beg me to 5-star rate them—unexpected and undesired—spam!
The web site pop-up dialog talking about…—spam!
So the first challenge is to get control of the channels. I’ve moved away from anything where random people can easily interrupt me. (Where “moved away” means everything from literally eliminate said thing, to change or reconfigure how it works, etc. My “inner circle” of people can easily surprise me, of course!) This drastically reduces surprises, and so drastically reduces spam.
Then the second challenge is to locate the channels that contain the information—including commercial information—which I want to receive. My favorite clothing retailer has learned that I like to be surprised with email from them. Commercial? …absolutely. Spam? …yes, please.
Thank you for giving me a few moments of your time.
Every moment—well, minus the 1/3 of my life when I’m horizontal and unconscious—I have the power to exercise my free will to decide what to do with my time. Since you are on the Internet, you likely also have this power and freedom. (Many people do not.)
Which moments do I regret? The ones where my choices were not intentional. Moments where I was habitual. Moments where I was reactive.
Ownership is somewhat of a gray area, both with physical and virtual real estate. I use the term loosely here. Ownership depends on how much control you have over the property, so we have a spectrum of possibilities. For instance, if you want to discover who really owns your home, stop paying your property taxes for a while and see what happens.
This pull-quote has little to do with the linked article. It simply made me laugh out loud—for real, in the literal sense. If you’ve not owned a house, you cannot aprehend property taxes. I digress.
Just before this article by Steve, I had read a short piece about adulthood and children. A piece about parents who give children too much choice. It contained a thought or three about:
Why would I want to grow up and have to accept all the responsibility, when I already have all the freedom and luxury?
That is one of the Big Questions. The day on which I understood the answer was the 3rd most important day of my life.
The thing I care the most about: what do you do when no one is looking, what do you make when it’s not an immediate part of your job… how many push ups do you do, just because you can?
Stumbled over this 8-year-old post from Seth. It’s suprisingly apropos—confirmation bias in action I suppose—of a conversation I just had.
There are two ways I can go with my thoughts on this: It turns out that I do a lot push-ups, (and other things, “Hello, Art du Déplacement,”) just because I can. But I think there’s a more interesting thread I can pull from this serendipity.
I don’t trust inspiration. I don’t trust it to show up, let alone motivate me. If something inspires me, I channel that energy to envision the path which could make the inspiring idea into some reality. I use moments of inspiration to propel me into doing the hard work of figuring out the next possible step. …and the step after that. …and after that.
The rest of the time—most of the time in fact—all I’m doing is working my systems. A bit of this, a bit of that, some of this, and some of that.
What are the personal transformations that occur through competitive rowing and movement practices like Parkour?
Roberto Regueiro Santiago discusses his years rowing crew, both as an athlete and a coach, and his thoughts on the competitive nature of the sport. Roberto shares how an injury changed his perspective and opened up his possibilities, leading him to Fighting Monkey and parkour. He explains his ideas of mastery, as well as his approach to games and training.
I don’t think it’s totally necessary to master everything that you do in your own practice. But master something which gives you a deep understanding — what the thing is, [and] feels [like] in the first moment that you feel like that song, like the flow state — is when you really master something.
~ Roberto Rugueiro Santiago (1:29)
Roberto Santiago reflects on his journey from competitive rowing to movement disciplines like Parkour and Fighting Monkey. He describes rowing as the first activity where he truly experienced mastery, emphasizing the deep bond and unity formed within rowing teams. Roberto shares how the rigorous nature of rowing, with its intense focus on competition, shaped his understanding of perseverance and teamwork. However, an injury ultimately shifted his priorities, leading him to explore movement practices that prioritize longevity and holistic development over winning.
In discussing his transition to Parkour and coaching, Roberto highlights the importance of sharing his passion with others, describing coaching as a way to create training partners and foster community. He values the playful, game-centered approach in Parkour, which contrasts sharply with the rigid, competition-driven world of rowing. Games, he notes, allow for self-exploration, creativity, and growth without the pressure to outperform others, fostering a sustainable and enjoyable practice.
Takeaways
Mastery through competition — Rowing provided the first experience of mastery, teaching the importance of understanding a discipline deeply.
Community in hardship — Growing up in a poor rowing club instilled a sense of responsibility and collective ownership.
Injury as transformation — An accident forced a reevaluation of priorities, shifting focus from competition to personal development.
Longevity mindset — Parkour introduced the idea of sustainable practice, allowing for rest and self-compassion without fear of falling behind.
Games as learning tools — Using games in Parkour creates a playful, low-pressure environment conducive to growth and self-awareness.
Rowing’s hidden costs — Rowing built strength but also structural imbalances, highlighting the importance of cross-training and mobility work.
Coaching for connection — Coaching is not just about teaching but creating peers to share in the practice and maintain engagement.
Acceptance of limitations — Aging brings acceptance that not every day will bring improvement, but consistent practice remains vital.
Unity in competition — High-level competition fosters respect and camaraderie, even among competitors.
Resources
The Movement Creative — A Parkour and movement organization where Roberto Santiago coaches and trains.
Fighting Monkey — A movement practice that integrates games and physical exploration, significantly influencing Roberto’s training philosophy.
There are exceptions, such as when I travel, where I end up unconscious on some other horizontal surface, but it’s as sure a rule as any that no matter what kinds of wild or unpredictable events happen during the day, the conclusion is quite predictable: me, horizontal and comatose.
Elsewhere, I’ve written specifically about sleeping. Sleep itself is fascinating, and a critical component to—well, everything; Life, quality thereof, the ability to think, and so on.
But until I read David’s piece, I’ve never had the vertiginous perspective of millions of people laying out horizontally and slipping unconscious. A rolling wave of countless people passing into unconsciousness as the world rotates. It’s eery, a third of all people are unconscious right at this moment. Also this moment. And in a relatively few more moments, I will be unconscious again.
I’m not certain, but I think my perspective upon first awakening may have shifted a little towards the, “oh! This is interesting,” end of things.
We come out of the box tuned for self-preservation and conformity. Not self-expression, not self-actualization, not happiness. But that’s what we want. Our genes want rock-solid, redundant systems for survival, nothing more. We want to have fun and feel good about our lives. Not the same thing!
I feel certain that I understand how to enjoy life. No mystery to me there.
The problem is balancing responsibilities. I’ve chosen this, I’ve taken on that, …sure, I swerve off the road—regularly—with things like stress-eating, rage, depression. But again, no mystery to me why that happens. I can tell from the center-line of the road when I’m heading for the ditch.
If I had a pithy solution to write here, I wouldn’t need to blog to sort out my thoughts, now would I?
Just as the nature of rational things has given to each person their rational powers, so it also gives us this power – Just as nature turns to its own purpose any obstacle or any opposition, sets its place in the destined order, and co-ops it, so every rational person can convert any obstacle into the raw material for their own purpose.
What role does community involvement and accessibility play in shaping inclusive, multigenerational spaces for Parkour and movement practice?
Blake Evitt discusses the importance of partnering with your community, creating multigenerational spaces for training, as well as how he does that in his hometown of Boston. He unpacks the influence that traveling had on his training, coaching, and business, as well as his own personal growth. Blake shares his thoughts on a number of subjects, including becoming vegetarian, the ADAPT coaching qualifications, and the United States Parkour Association.
Our goal with the park was to make a multigenerational movement space, not just a place where Parkour can happen but also a place where people can explore and be comfortable.
~ Blake Evitt (3:37)
The conversation explores how Parkour can serve as a tool for creating inclusive, multigenerational community spaces. A key focus is the development of public Parkour spaces, particularly in Somerville, Boston, where Parkour generations have helped design and steward municipally funded parks. The dialogue highlights the integration of Parkour for all ages, with specific classes for children, adults, and older practitioners, ensuring accessibility and fostering a communal experience. The discussion underscores the importance of designing spaces that allow for interaction across generations and between different activities, such as skateboarding and basketball.
Blake Evitt’s personal journey through international travel and cultural exchange plays a significant role in shaping his approach to Parkour and community building. His experiences training with Parkour groups worldwide inform his leadership in Parkour Generations Americas and the growth of Parkour Generations Boston. The interview touches on Evitt’s coaching philosophy, the significance of adapting Parkour for older adults, and the broader value of Parkour as a means of personal development, community engagement, and positive social change.
Takeaways
Community-driven Parkour spaces — The creation of municipally funded Parkour parks can foster multigenerational interaction and community engagement.
Inclusivity in coaching — Offering classes for different age groups, including older adults and young children, increases accessibility and broadens participation in Parkour.
Travel as professional growth — Exposure to global Parkour communities enriches personal development and informs local initiatives and coaching practices.
Public Parkour spaces — Collaborative efforts with city governments to build Parkour spaces ensure long-term stewardship and positive community relations.
Adaptive teaching methods — Classes are designed to accommodate varying physical capabilities, promoting longevity and inclusivity in the practice.
Cultural exchange through Parkour — Hosting international events like American Rendezvous creates opportunities for idea sharing and global collaboration.
Integrating Parkour into family life — Simultaneous adult and children’s classes encourage family participation and deepen community ties.
Coaching as a refined skill — Effective Parkour coaching requires development and refinement, similar to technical Parkour skills.
The role of competition — Personal goal-setting and competition provide structure and drive for practitioners, complementing non-competitive aspects of Parkour.
Resources
Parkour Generations Boston — The Boston branch of Parkour Generations, focusing on inclusive community programs and coaching.
Parkour Generations Americas — The parent organization overseeing Parkour Generations branches in the U.S., supporting growth and community engagement.
American Rendezvous — A large international Parkour event in Boston fostering cross-cultural exchange and community building.
I’ve read far too many stories put out by “prestige” news organizations that merely amount to: “This prominent person tweeted this. These random people responded with these tweets. This person made a meme out of it.” This is literally the entire content of the article. It is paragraphs of text devoid of meaning and significance. Just hype masquerading as journalism. But consume enough of it and it can shape your world view, where you feel like something is happening, but nothing actually is.
A large part of my personal change has been driven by my changing what information I consume. There are very few things, people, or places which are able to “insert” information in front of me. The vast majority of information sources—and I’m using information here in the broadest sense—are all set up so that I access them. I access them the way I get water from the sink tap. I go to it. I act to begin the flow. I choose how much and at what rate it flows.
There’s no longer any hype coming out of my sink taps.
Social conditioning may have convinced you that sacrificing your happiness to maintain a certain bank balance, to send timely payments to corporations to which you’re indebted, or to pay for someone else’s needs and expenses is the proper way to live. Perhaps your parents played a role in this conditioning as well, teaching you the importance of being responsible and holding down stable employment.
There’s a lot of value to the idea of, “and now that you are moving, you can steer.” Lots of metaphors here: A ship’s rudder doesn’t work unless the ship is moving; A car cannot turn around unless it is moving; etc. But there’s a vastly bigger picture that, “you can steer,” will never reveal.
It doesn’t matter how fast I’m “moving” or how well I “steer” if I’m on the wrong eff’in continent.
Steve often writes phoofy new-age mumbo jumbo stuff that I can’t even read. Why do I keep reading [you might ask]? Filter bubble. Perspective. Articles like this one which challenge the reader to wipe off the entire board and consider redrawing the plate tectonics.
What does it mean to make movement more accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of background or athletic ability?
In this episode Cordelia Storm unpacks her thoughts about accessibility, the effects of a gym on a community, and her motivation for learning flips. She delves into her personal journey, as well as her relationship with competition. Cordelia mentions her documentary project, and finishes by tackling the concepts of gender, age, and representation in the parkour space.
In that moment I realized that my voice did matter. Now what? From then on, that just became a big passion— to have people love movement, love feeling their bodies, and like playing.
~ Cordelia Storm (30:55)
The conversation centers on the transformative power of parkour, not just as a physical discipline but as a tool for personal growth, inclusivity, and empowerment. Cordelia Storm shares her journey into parkour, starting from a background in theater and video games, and how the practice helped her overcome personal struggles, including bulimia. A large part of the discussion revolves around how parkour promotes accessibility and how Cordelia works to make movement available to a wider audience. She highlights how parkour shifted her relationship with her body, turning exercise from a punitive activity into a joyful and empowering experience.
Another key topic explored is the emotional impact of losing a community gym and how it challenged the parkour community to adapt and rebuild. Cordelia discusses the importance of outdoor classes and fostering micro-communities within them to maintain connection and continuity. The conversation also touches on gender representation in parkour, the evolving nature of competition, and the broader social and cultural implications of making movement inclusive. Cordelia’s passion for flips and overcoming fear is used as a metaphor for confronting personal barriers, showing how physical challenges in parkour mirror deeper internal struggles and victories.
Takeaways
Losing a community gym — The closure of Parkour Visions’ physical gym space profoundly affected the local community, forcing adaptations in teaching and community building.
Empowering coaches — Building smaller community hubs within classes strengthens the overall parkour community even in the absence of a central gym.
Flips as self-overcoming — Flips in parkour symbolize confronting personal fears and limitations, reflecting broader themes of self-growth and perseverance.
Movement for healing — Parkour provided Cordelia with a path to body acceptance and a healthier self-image after struggling with bulimia.
Representation in parkour — Having visible female athletes and coaches plays a crucial role in encouraging more women to participate in parkour.
The value of competition — Competitions offer opportunities for growth, but can initially feel intimidating and exclusionary, requiring a shift in mindset.
Accessible movement — Parkour needs to be reimagined beyond elite skills, making even basic movements relatable to those new to the discipline.
Emotional vulnerability — Parkour offers men and women spaces to explore vulnerability and overcome ego, fostering deeper emotional intelligence.
Resources
Parkour Visions — The gym and organization where Cordelia started parkour and continues to teach.
Art of Retreat — A parkour leadership gathering frequently referenced in the conversation.
Movement Creative — A community-focused parkour organization associated with Caitlin Pontrella.
The problem with holistic, all-consuming burnout is that there’s no solution to it. You can’t optimize it to make it end faster. You can’t see it coming like a cold and start taking the burnout-prevention version of Airborne. The best way to treat it is to first acknowledge it for what it is — not a passing ailment, but a chronic disease — and to understand its roots and its parameters. That’s why people I talked to felt such relief reading the “mental load” cartoon, and why reading Harris’s book felt so cathartic for me: They don’t excuse why we behave and feel the way we do. They just describe those feelings and behaviors — and the larger systems of capitalism and patriarchy that contribute to them — accurately.
I was startled (or perhaps proud?) to notice this seems to be the first thing I’ve ever linked to on Buzzfeed. I was also startled to realize this article makes a lot of great points about burnout.
It doesn’t have any suggestions about how to recover. But it does point out the key observation that you cannot optimize your way out of burnout. Been there. Done that. Am there. Doing that.